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Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Maryland's 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 24, 2026
Primary: June 23, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Maryland

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Maryland's 1st Congressional District
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th
Maryland elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 23, 2026, in Maryland's 1st Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
February 24, 2026
June 23, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maryland law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. As of October 2025, both the Democratic and Republican parties operated a closed primary where only a voter affiliated with the party may vote in a party's primary.[1]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Maryland's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 1

Victor Guidice, Terrence Rogers, Dan Schwartz, George Walish, and Randi White are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 1 on June 23, 2026.

Candidate
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Victor Guidice
Image of Terrence Rogers
Terrence Rogers
Image of Dan Schwartz
Dan Schwartz Candidate Connection
Image of George Walish
George Walish Candidate Connection
Image of Randi White
Randi White Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Dan Schwartz

Image of Dan Schwartz

WebsiteX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a dad, husband, outdoorsman, and lifelong consumer advocate. I've spent my 14 year career working with state and federal regulators to protect consumers from financial misconduct and abuse. I believe government should work for people instead of monetizing people. I know we can cut red-tape and foster economic development but protecting consumers and families is non-negotiable."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I will be laser focused on affordability and the economy. I will fight dangerous policies like spending freezes and tariffs that make it impossible for families to save, and small businesses to plan for the future.

I will improve and protect access to affordable healthcare and support vital public health research that's been recklessly cut by the Trump Administration and DOGE.

I will fight for investments in Maryland’s future and protect its environment so working families can live in our state and benefit from its amazing natural resources.

George Walish

Image of George Walish

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "George is a graduate of Biscayne College, now St. Thomas University, with a B.A. degree in Business; he worked construction in the summer to help pay for his education. He was married to Christine Walish for 33 years, Christine passed away in 2011. The couple had two children; George M. Walish III and Bradford M. Walish. His career included school teacher, coach of basketball and baseball 7th grade; with stints at Xerox corporation and Chrysler corporation. In 1975, George joined BMW of North America, LLC. where he was employed for 30 years and became a Senior Executive. He is the founder of the St. Michaels' Concours d'Elegance, which remains today one of the Top 10 Concours events in North America."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Will be a true representative of the people in Maryland's Congressional District 1.

The health of Chesapeake Bay.

Policy's that support Farmers and Waterman.

Randi White

Image of Randi White

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I was born and raised in Salisbury on Maryland’s Lower Shore, and I would be the first Democratic nominee from this part of the district. My grandmother raised me to care deeply and be involved in government and voting. She taught me that the rights our elders fought and died for should never be taken for granted. From the time I was eight years old, I was asking tough questions, studying policies, and learning that leadership means seeking solutions, not just pointing out problems. I went on to earn two Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Communications and built a 20-year career in Marketing and Communications. In every role I’ve had, my goal has been simple: to make people’s lives better. Running for Congress is the most direct way I can continue that work for my community. I’m proud to be a daughter of the Shore, a lifelong Orioles and Ravens fan, and someone who believes in bringing laughter, music, and empathy into everything I do."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I Show Up – Accessibility & Accountability Too many people feel forgotten by their leaders. I am committed to being present and accountable, not just during campaign season but every day I serve. That means showing up in every county, listening to people directly, and making government transparent and responsive. As someone born and raised here, I know that accessibility builds trust and I will always be the kind of representative who answers to the people first, not party bosses or special interests.

Healthcare is a Human Right – Rural Healthcare Crisis Access to affordable, quality healthcare should not depend on your zip code. In Maryland’s 1st District, 9 out of 11 counties are rural and lack that access. Folks face long drives, fewer doctors, and higher costs. I will fight to expand rural healthcare options, protect reproductive rights, and ensure that every person, from our seniors to our children (and regardless of income level), can see a doctor when they need one. Healthcare is a basic human right, and no one in our community should be forced to choose between their health and their bills. I would also like to focus on the actual CARE of our constituents wherever they go.

Commonsense Over Chaos – Pragmatic Economic Development Partisan chaos in Washington has done nothing to help people & families in our district struggling with the cost of living. I believe in commonsense solutions: creating good-paying jobs, supporting small businesses, farmers and federal workers, and investing in infrastructure that lifts our entire community. Including funding schools, building more schools to combat overcrowding, and feeding the children in the schools. My focus is not on scoring political points but on delivering real results. With pragmatic leadership, we can build a stronger, fairer economy for MD-01 and beyond.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Maryland

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Victor Guidice Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Terrence Rogers Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Dan Schwartz Democratic Party $211,604 $123,803 $87,801 As of September 30, 2025
George Walish Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Randi White Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_md_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+8. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 8 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Maryland's 1st the 150th most Republican district nationally.[2]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Maryland's 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
40.0% 57.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Maryland, 2024

Maryland presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 22 Democratic wins
  • 10 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R D D D D R R R D D D D R R R D D D R D D R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Maryland state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Maryland's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Maryland
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 7 9
Republican 0 1 1
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Maryland's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Maryland, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Wes Moore
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Aruna Miller
Secretary of State Democratic Party Susan Lee
Attorney General Democratic Party Anthony Brown

State legislature

Maryland State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 34
     Republican Party 13
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 47

Maryland House of Delegates

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 102
     Republican Party 38
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 141

Trifecta control

Maryland Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty-two years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maryland in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maryland, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Maryland U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1% of the eligible voters for the district $100 2/24/2026 Source
Maryland U.S. House Unaffiliated 10,000 $100 7/2/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ LexisNexis, "Md. Election Code Ann. § 8–202," accessed October 20, 2025
  2. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Maryland's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Angela Alsobrooks (D)
Chris Hollen (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (9)
Republican Party (1)


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